


a partial beating heart

by shafusu



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Agender Character, Other, other characters will be added as they appear - Freeform, yes i'll be using they as a pronoun leave me alone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 07:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7213015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shafusu/pseuds/shafusu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuu isn't necessarily known for their level head, and honestly Asahi isn't known for that either.</p><p>--</p><p>Aka the Agender Medical Art Student Nishinoya/Restaurant Hand Asahi AU no one asked for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a partial beating heart

**Author's Note:**

> Just what are they going on about it's just a heart.

Yuu wasn’t known for their level head, the words of concern that were whispered by their family fell on deaf ears. They had reason to be concerned, but none of their reasons really mattered in the end. When they put their mind to something, Yuu couldn’t be brought to see reason. That was their “iron will”, as their mother liked to call it, whenever she butt heads with Yuu on any decision they made. Those decisions, good or bad, they would stick with till the end and nothing would shake them free. The same was said about Yuu’s gender identity.

  
A constant chorus of _you don’t know for sure_ , _well you say that now_ and _don’t do anything you’ll regret later on in life_.

  
Not long after that, Yuu left. They left their family, their dwindling friend circles and the fifty hushed rumors behind despite not overly wanting to. They liked home, except that home didn’t necessarily approve of them.

  
Yuu hadn’t been anything close to happy. Though, to be fair, whatever happiness Yuu hoped to gain by moving overseas never came. Almost as if to show them that all their choices had been wrong in the end.

  
Even their artistry, one that they loved to show off back home, didn’t even register in their newfound school. Perhaps it was just a skill level thing, Yuu figured. There was an air to formality that fell toward both students who excelled and students who did not. Or perhaps, Yuu’s rendition of the human eye just wasn’t compelling enough. Which was fine, Yuu naturally thrived in competitive environments. It was something they were used to, having played volleyball in high school–before being forced to quit of course.

  
Except now, despite Yuu’s self reassurance, they knew. They knew that even medical art, something they loved earnestly, was turning into a chore.

  
Scores dwindled slightly, but it was nothing Yuu wasn’t confident about being able to raise in the event it got to be alarming.

  
Surprise hit them on the last assignment however.

  
The human heart. They were familiar with it. It was one of the first few things Yuu became fascinated with when they came across those detailed diagrams in their first health class. The contours of the protruding valves, powerful champers and coiling muscle that kept the adept organ going. It pumped tirelessly, sometimes in vain, to keep the body moving, to sustain it. It even when the brain was long gone, sentience stripped, with help it continued on in case the brain returned. Yuu had been mesmerized, the entity that could take jolts of electricity to restart itself, and it kept them alive.

  
And yet, even with that love. That passion. It wasn’t enough to keep Yuu from absolutely bombing an assignment on the one organ they spent more time researching than any other. They bombed it so hard that a little piece of them fractured upon seeing the score.

  
They left the assignment, intact, undamaged, on their desk back at their dorm. It was surrounded by study material for an upcoming midterm. Like a shrine, the inevitability.

  
Yuu whistled softly as they walked over dirty sidewalks, shoes kicking away sparse trash that lay littered atop the concrete. Cool air coasted over them, tinting their cheeks and the tips of their ears a soft red. Their hands remained dug deep in the pockets of their coat, gaze lingering on flickering street lamps as they walked along.

  
They weren’t headed anywhere, despite what the bag hoisted over their shoulder might have told others otherwise. Yuu had never been the type to run away, even when things were getting as hard as they were.

  
Still, that didn’t mean Yuu couldn’t use a break.

  
They traversed the mostly empty streets, stopping in front of a restaurant. The lights were still on, tacky neon sign blinking the word open in various patterns. It was odd, Yuu found, most food places closed well before three in the morning. It didn’t even seem like the kind of place that Yuu could begin to afford, but a cup of coffee inside a warm building shouldn’t put obscene strain on their bank account.

  
Yuu motioned to step through the door, greeting the warmth with a pleased sigh. A sign hung over a nearby standing saying “please have a seat, a waiter will be with you shortly.” Yuu hummed thoughtfully, taking up spot in a far corner, away from the open window. They set their bag down, fiddling with the zipper until they were able to remove the small sketchbook and a fairly big book of diagrams, setting them on the table.

  
They flipped the pages, noting how the book seemed to almost instinctually open up to the spot where the heart diagrams were. A few more pages and the first few became visible, names and instructions on how blood passed through. Their fingers lingered over the chambers, the right and left atrium, then the right left ventricle. The descriptions of the atrioventricular valves, the semilunar valves. More words, words they had memorized, all contained within the pericardial cavity.

  
Everything Yuu had memorized, countless hours of study. Fingers scratched at the surface of the paper, over where the tricuspid valve was displayed, lips pursing into a fine line, a brief blip of thought bubbling to the surface. Wondering just how much of this had been for nothing.

  
Yuu caught movement out of the corner of their eye, flinching slightly when they saw someone emerge. A very tall someone at that.

  
The other individual, presumably male in presentation, looked tired. His hair was tugged back in a lopsided ponytail, strands of brown still falling over his face. Strange piercings on his ears, an air of weariness as he carded fingers through stray locks as he walked over. That presence seemed to dissipate when he approached, Yuu noting the almost serene smile that curled over his lips, making the beard and the ragged look less intimidating.

  
“Hello, what can I get for you?” He asked, voice low, thrumming.

  
English wasn’t Yuu’s strongest language, speaking it made them nervous, but they could try, “Ah–yes, uhm, what do you normally have here?”

  
The man blinked, chuckling awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Oh, right. I–didn’t bring a menu did I,” His smile turned pleasant again, “Sorry about that. Basically anything french styled, as well as some American cuisine.

  
Yuu turned a pink color as he leaned forward, whispering softly, “Between you and me, I’ll just make whatever you want. It’s almost four in the morning, I don’t think anyone cares.”

  
At that, they couldn’t help but laugh, noting the way he lit up when he moved away, “Whatever I want? You shouldn’t do that. I might take advantage!”

  
The waiter waved his hand at that, “I don’t know if you have the heart to do that.”

  
“I have the heart,” Yuu proclaimed with a huff, much to the waiter’s amusement.

  
“So what’ll you have?” He asked, sifting through his apron and pulling out a pen and paper.

  
“A small coffee, a whole bag of sugar in it, and cream.”

  
The possibly older man quirked a brow, “So a cup enough to kill a diabetic.”

  
Yuu smiled, “Do I seem to be the healthiest person awake at this hour?”

  
The waiter gazed at them, and Yuu felt themselves grow warmer. A gentle gaze, not one they were very used to. It was soft, almost as though the man was trying to size them up. Normally, Yuu opposed blatant staring, it felt clinical, uncomfortable. Really, it shouldn’t have felt different with anyone else, and it made them a little mad in that regard, but at least the man seemed kind. He wasn’t judging Yuu, he wasn’t getting bitter with him for being there so early. It was rare to find someone so pleasant so early in the morning.

  
“You seem like something interesting,” He said, eyes moving away as his focus dropped onto the papers littered over the table, “I’ll get you your coffee for free, if you tell me what that is,” He pointed at the diagrams and Yuu’s drawings.

  
Yuu felt themselves turn solemn, a soft smile coveting almost nothing as their fingers traversed over the pages, “It’s what I’ve dedicated my life to accomplishing.”

  
A vague answer, dramatic, Yuu realized, but that was really all they could give it. They expected a snort, or a snarl of some kind, a displeased noise at something not fully explained. Except it never came. When they looked back up, the man had eyes that were filled with nothing but understanding. There was no questioning, no roll of his eyes, no clear disregard for how Yuu felt. How little Yuu had to say.

  
“So, what’s your name?” He asked finally, upturn of his lips.

  
They picked up their pencil, scribbling a bit for a second before raising their head back up, “Name’s Nishinoya. Nishinoya, Yuu. Most people go for Yuu, but I like my last name more.”

  
“You’re Japanese?” He asked, seemingly elated.

  
“Mhm.”

  
“So am I, though I don’t really speak any Japanese myself. Asahi Azumane. Or Azumane, Asahi, whichever way makes you feel more comfortable.”

  
Yuu smiled fondly, “Could just call ya’ Azumane-san.”

  
“Then we’d match,” Asahi replied happily.

  
“Match huh?” Yuu hummed amusedly, “I’m afraid I don’t like matching, got my own reputation to upkeep.”

  
“I wouldn’t want to take your floppy mohawk reputation, Nishinoya,” Asahi replied solemnly, giving a shake of his head.

  
Yuu let out a peal of laughter, “It’s not floppy! I just style it that way!” They defended, “Okay you’re downgraded. I’m not even calling you Azumane-san. You’re just Azumane. I’m never calling you by your first name ever.”

  
Asahi returned the laugh, “Sorry! I’ll go bring you your coffee. On the house of course.”

  
“Yes, I expect that after you harassed me and my floppy mohawk. I’m hurt, appease me,” Yuu joked pointedly.

  
“I’m going, I’m going, I’ll be back in a second.” Asahi returned in a soft sing song way, waving Yuu off and headed toward what Yuu assumed was the kitchen.

  
Their attention drifted back toward the papers, the heart, and how their own was beating strongly, palpitations measuring from repeated beats back down to something normal. Their cheeks hurt from smiling, throat from laughing, talking more than they had in a long time. And Asahi, who he was as a person, curiosity filled Yuu to the brim.

  
Their heart wasn’t forgotten, but maybe, they’d learn to find it again, dug underneath the failures and lost scores. Lost days. Days where they couldn’t return back to their dorm.

  
Only time would tell, of course, but they didn’t feel like thinking about that at the moment. The only thing on their mind was coffee enough to induce high blood sugar and the promise of a conversation.

**Author's Note:**

> Epsiode 12907289731 of I can't stick to one project. I'm currently also writing Shoot the Moon's Chapter 6 and part 3 of the rarepair college!AU collection. So yes I'm actually writing.
> 
> As well as a one shot that's gonna be p long. Idk what to do with myself anymore.
> 
> Anyway this was to get me kickstarted on doing this two week thing for the asanoya group, and so I'll be updating it in time with that. Next update will probably be at the end of this month.
> 
> I hope you enjoy, thank you.


End file.
